Monday, September 28, 2015

How I Enjoy the Little Things When Life Gets Stressful

When life gets particularly stressful and hectic, I like to remind myself to enjoy the little things. Between prepping for my first competition, traveling across country twice in one month for work, selling my condo, buying my home and living through the renovation, it’s safe to say life has been a bit… overwhelming… lately.

But – thankfully – it’s all good stuff. So rather than let stress creep in, I try and relish in small moments of happiness and relaxation. Over the past week, just a few of the ways I’ve enjoyed the small things (that arguably all really do equate to the “big picture”):

Hot coffee on a Sunday morning. Nowhere to be, nothing to do. The smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee (lately I am LOVING Dunkin Donuts Cinnamon Coffee Cake flavored coffee!) while still in your pjs on a cozy Sunday is simply blissful.
Time with Girlfriends. Sushi lunch dates. Impromptu mid-day coffee breaks. Weekly posing practice. Monthly foot massages. Sometimes I ramble, sometimes I listen. Sometimes we laugh sometimes we cry. Either way, time with my closest girlfriends brighten up my day and always leaves me feeling grateful.
A Good Massage. I’m a member of one of those monthly massage spas and have been seeing my masseuse for years now. He eases more perpetually sore muscles and always makes me laugh – feels like just yesterday he was telling me he was going to try online dating. He went on Plenty of Fish a year ago, and this past Saturday got married! It’s been awesome seeing our friendship evolve over the years.
Naps with Lucy. I’ve never been much of a napper, but this past weekend Atlanta was hit with a downpour of rain that just wouldn’t quit. I opened all the bedroom windows and let the sound of rain hitting the window pane lul Luce and I to sleep. It felt glorious!
Phone Dates with My Mom. Living in two separate states isn’t always the easiest, but I love having our daily chats to look forward to. My mom is always my biggest supporter and I love sharing news (big or small) with her. She’s a great sounding board.
Planning an Upcoming Occasion. This year I'll be breaking in my new home by hosting my first Thanksgiving! I'm having family fly in and spend a long weekend with me - and I'm beyond excited. Maybe it's the fact that I'm starving on prep, but I find myself daydreaming about what to cook and where to take them during their visit. Knowing in just a few months I'll be surrounded my some of my most favorite people brings instant warmth to my heart. 
Sweat Sessions at the Gym. It’s no surprise I’ve been logging quite a bit of time in the gym lately. While the workouts are sometimes exhausting and I don’t always feel like training specific body parts (boo triceps!) or doing particular movements (ew Frog Hops!), I do love getting the endorphins pumping. And I always remind myself it’s a blessing to be able to work out the way I do. Financially, physically, you name it. It is a privilege, not an obligation.
Dancing Around in my Birthday Suit. Because let’s face it, sometimes at the end of a long day, nothing feels better than turning up one of your favorite songs, taking off all your clothes and dancing around like a total goofball. 

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